KOAL Volume 1:A Guiding Beacon
by Zephan Vento
Summary: A re-write of Valzoa's Beacon Eternal Series. Beacon Academy, home to the next generation of heroes. While every student comes for their own reasons, they all come to become the heroes of those that follow. Team KOAL is no exception, and while they have all come looking for their own answers, events are about to unfold that will change them forever.
1. Kindling Sparks

He kept swinging his blades, each one slipping free from his grip. He kept looking for it, only for the Ursa to appear, as always in his blind spot. He turned to stare, frozen in terror. The flash of bone and shadow crossed his vision, causing him to shoot upright in a cold sweat. He swore that he had heard them. Standing up, he looked out his window to the woods, but saw nothing. Struggling to catch his breath, he looked at the cooled fires of the forge and began to stir up the coals a little before feeding more fuel in. Watching the flames, he felt his nerves settle a little. He pulled a chunk of metal out of the chest near the furnace and placed it inside so it could heat. He needed to work some of this tension out. How long was this going to happen? How long before it stopped? When he finally came back to the world around him, the metal strap was glowing. Putting on his blackout goggles, he pulled it out and began hammering away, his problems seeming to fade away with each swing. Drowned out with the loud sound of metal striking metal, imagining each swing making contact with the bone mask of a Grimm. Eventually, it was all he could see and all that seemed to matter. It wasn't until he heard a scream of panic from outside that he was pulled out of his trance.

He ran for the door, grabbing his coat and the heavy blade underneath in one hand. As he ran out, he saw a young boy hiding on the other side of a bush as a curious Beowulf walked towards it. It looked young, missing a lot of the plating he had come to expect from the others. As it was about to lash out at the boy's hiding place, its claws met with cold steel, its hand falling to the ground and disappearing into black smoke as the beast pulled back in confusion. Kaen slipped his coat on and sighed, "Gelo, you really should be in bed." His hazel eyes continued to flicker orange in the night, feeling his shoulder knit after that throw. As the flaming energy began to escape his shoulders, he mousy brown hair began to shine with the same flames. The grass beneath his feet tore up as he put himself quickly between the Beowulf and the child. "Really should have stayed in the woods, buddy." The beast lashed out at Kaen, nothing but blind violence in its eyes. Kaen side stepped the blow, his over flowing energy knocking the claw to the side as he grabbed the handle and swung the door-like cleaver at the beast. As the heavy blade passed clean through its shadowy flesh and sunk deep into the field beside it, he faced away, his wings of flame seeming to disintegrate whatever would have remained of the beast.

He walked over to the thirteen year old escapee and sighed, "You alright, Gelo?" When the boy gave a slow and fearful nod, Kaen just smiled down at him and held out his hand to help the boy stand up. He eventually walked the boy back to his home, getting a hug in thanks from the mother, and returned to his shelter. The metal he had been working had cooled, but the furnace burned as hot as ever. So, after a lingering look at the bronze blade hung upon the wall, he put the piece back in after putting on his goggles and waited for it. As he stared into that fire he nodded to himself. That piece would make for an excellent bracelet. He was sure Gelo would love it.

* * *

A series of shots dead center of the lined up targets was all it took. It was a good thing these shades hid just how proud Olive was of that, because it would have made this next part impossible to sell. "You really think you are all that, catboy? Just because you beat my score? You are still nothing! Faunas aren't welcome in Vale and they sure as spit ain't welcome at Beacon."

Oilve made a point to cough a little, "Sorry, I was trying to choke down your bullshit, but I just can't swallow it." A smirk appeared briefly that only seemed to rile the boy into taking a swing. Olive slid effortlessly between his legs, releasing a trail of loose wire in the process. With a backflip and a mid-air twirl that was only possible with the enhanced balance from a faunas tail, the boy was wrapped in the razor wire. Olive gave a slight chuckle before pushing one of the cartridges into the glove, causing the wires to come alive with electricity like a full body taser. Releasing the boy from the wires, Olive laughed, adjusting the lapels of the suit and dusting off the slacks. "Well, that was a rather shocking response. Wouldn't you agree?" Olive turned to see a small gathering of female students gaping in awe and admiration of this stylishly dressed faunas. Not bad. Leave them with a memory. With a smirk and a snap, Olive turned to walk out, "I look forward to getting my acceptance letter in the mail, instructor." Leaving the testing grounds, Olive let out a sigh, starting the walk back to the hotel. "Where the hell are you, Peri?"

The streets of Vale were pretty quiet, but it was probably just everyone was either at work or school. Still, since coming here, there hasn't been one table or demonstration from the White Fang. This wasn't how it used to be. It was never this quiet. Picking up a local paper, one of the stories was about a dust shop that had recently been hit, but no word as to the who. Still, from the description of the caper it sounded like the rumors going around. There was no way. The White Fang were heroes, showing those stupid humans that Faunas were more than equal to them and demanding to be treated as such. A force for peace, not... whatever this was.

Coming to the hotel room, Olive took her shades off first, revealing her emerald green eyes to the florescent lights, causing her to wince a little at how harsh they were. Running her hands through her muted green hair, she flicked her tail in annoyance before loosening her tie and throwing herself onto the hotel bed. She really needed to go take a shower, but all she could bring herself to do was stare at the picture of her family they gave her before she left. In it stood her parents and herself standing next to her adopted brother, his light blue hair and knowing smirk the only thing she had to comfort her tonight. She stared at the ceiling and grumbled, "When I find you, I'm kicking your ass." Just as she got comfortable, she heard some commotion in the alleyway. With a sigh, she tore off her tie and threw her shades back on. "Alright, who is stirring this crap up?" She looked outside and even through her shades she could spot the white masks of the White Fang. Her face lost almost all emotion, eyes unable to look away from them as she saw them closing in on a human in the alleyway.

The human girl looked up in desperation shouting for help. The thugs spotted Olive's ears and laughed at the woman, not expecting Olive's ears to pick it up, "You really think a faunas will come to your rescue? Against us? Please..." Without a moment's hesitation, Olive cleared the window, jumping between the walls to slow her fall as she slid down before landing in the alley. They turned with smiles, "So... want to help us show this human who we are?"

Olive tugged at the cuffs of her gloves, "I'll show her exactly what it means to be a faunas." The thugs laughter seemed to fade as they swore they saw something let out a faint sparkle of moonlight. "And when I'm done, you are going to tell me what I want to know."

* * *

A forward thrust aimed for the heart. An easy parry, or perhaps she should dodge. Amaranthine tightened her grip on her practice weapon. Stay focused. You are the Lady of Winter Blossoms and a swordswoman of House Salvia! You can't afford to be distracted. She closed her eyes briefly to recenter herself as she could feel the headache set, dodging low and taking a wild swing at her brother's side, only to feel a strike hit her shoulder and nothing hit her own practice weapon.

The lithe brother laughed, "Come on, Ams. You can't really expect me to commit to an attack until those eyes of yours close." She winced her eyes closed again, this time in embarrassment, "Alright, Princess, lay off of yourself. Burg and I are just used to sparring you. Beacon won't know what hit it. Oh, and make sure to wear your weighted kimono everywhere over your uniform. You'll thank me."

"Sure thing, Lav." She stood up, dusting off the training pads a little, "I'm just... I want this but-"

The booming voice of her eldest brother cut her off, his deep red hair perfectly styled, "And that is enough, Amy." He walked over with a reassuring smile and lifted her in a hug, "You always worry too much." She smiled softly at him and got a hearty laugh in return. He spoke firmly but kindly, "Amaranthine, are you sure this is who you want to be? Are you sure you want to go become a huntress? To be like she was?" Amy looked down for a moment but then nodded firmly. "Then you will be fine. Just remember what dad always says. Once you set your mind to a task..." He paused, clearly waiting for his still suspended sister to respond.

Lav followed up, "No matter how impossible others claim it to be..."

She smiled weakly and muttered the rest, squeaking as Burg hugged her harder. "STOP THAT! I'm sorry!" She said quickly, "See it through to the end without hesitation." Burg nodded and put her back down. She looked at her siblings and smiled big only to see her father standing larger than life in the hallway. The siblings all turned and bowed in respect.

He spoke with a clear and sharp tone, "Burgandy, you are to make your way to the entry hall and greet the clan leaders. Keep them appeased until my arrival." Burgandy nodded and left the hall after one more quick hug of his sister. He spoke up again, "Lavender, the parents of one of the local families have come asking about your intentions for their daughter." Lavender was about to speak but was silenced with an unwavering gaze, "I don't care how you live your life, but I do care if those acts compromise the confidence of the people. Settle this matter, immediately." Lav looked away with a hint of shame but nodded and left the room. Finally, he looked at his daughter. "Amaranthine, your mother requests your presence for tea before you depart. Go to your chambers and change." She tilted her head in curiosity, but found herself scared back into obedience with the same look her brother got. A stare that seemed to see everything she was with crystal clarity. Still, her father responded, "You will see why when you arrive in your room." He gave a gentle nod and said, "Dismissed." She nodded and ran to her room, not wanting to test his patience. When she made her way across the estate and slid the door open she stared in disbelief at the garb that rested fully folded on her bed. As she went to pick it up, she heard her father's voice. "I'm sure you recognize the design. By wearing that, you will be officially accepting one more title. Maiden of the Eastern Lotus."

She turned to him while holding it and jumped at him, giving him the biggest hug she could. "Just like Grandma. Thank you."

He broke his cold demeanor to return the hug, a look of gentle warmth covering his face, "You have always been our little Winter Blossom. She would be proud of you." Amy began to cry into his shoulder and he let her do so for a time before eventually releasing the hug, "Save some tears for your mother. She would be devastated if you couldn't shed at least one at your parting." Amy broke the hug and nodded, pushing him out of the doorway so she could close it and get changed. Upon getting the traditional combat dress on, she tugged a bit at the shoulders, allowing the layered plating to settle properly. Looking herself over in the mirror and seeing the symbol of her noble house embroidered on the left of her chest she beamed with pride, turning to see it was on her back as well. After a few moments she remembered her mother and rushed to go see her.

When she arrived in the ceremonial tea room, her mother greeted her, "I am not used to you running so late. The tea almost got cold." Amy bowed in apology before taking her place. Her mother looked over the uniform with a sort of distant sorrow. She asked, "My dear Amaranth. I know that look in your eye, but..." she hesitated for a moment and seemed to start again, "You are choosing the path of the warrior, but I've always known you to be a gentle soul. I want to make sure that I won't lose my daughter the same way we lost her."

Amy stared into her tea for a moment, looking into her own reflection. "Huntsmen and Huntresses only fight Grimm. They protect people. I'm not about to go around killing people. I just want to do what I can to keep our people safe. I may admire her, but I'm not..." She looked up at her mother with determination. "I will make you proud. I promise you."

Her mother looked down into her tea for a moment as well, taking a deep drink before nodding. Her silence almost bothered Amy more. Eventually, her mother pulled a weapon out from under the table. An elegant katana in a bamboo sheath. One her mother had used in her youth. She bowed her head slightly in motion for Amy to take it. As she did her mother spoke with poorly hidden hesitation, "I'm sure you still remember how it works." Amy tentatively pulled it free from the sheath and gave it a few elegant practice swings. "Your grandfather made it rather light and rather sharp. He wanted to be sure that even I could act if necessary."

Amy put it back in its sheath and strapped it to her hip, bowing with barely contained glee. "Thank you so much, mother. I promise I will do all I can to live up to our name."

Her mother seemed ready to say something, but then dropped quiet, turning away as she began to cry. "I love you, my dear Amaranthine. Do be careful." Amy hugged her tightly from behind and the two spent some time just crying together in that room.

* * *

The instructor was forward in his combat technique. Lacking subtlety. But that was almost certainly because he was confident. He had been tossing students around like they were the smallest puppies in the pen. Zoge continued to collect stones off the ground near the stands he was supposed to be waiting in tucking them into pockets on the inside lining of his cloak. He needed somewhat flat stones if he wanted predictable results. As it stood, a direct strike could end poorly for him. As he mapped the battle in his mind, he heard the instructor shout over to him, "Mister LaBlanc! If entrance exams are so boring for you, you could just go home! I don't want us wasting any of your precious time, do I?"

His response was cold but calculated, "The only time you are wasting is your own. Why waste all this time when half the prospects are lost causes?" He turned to face the now glaring instructor, "I mean no offense to you, but these children have one tenth my potential and ten times my time. So, if you would, please move me to the front of the cue so we can all stop wasting our time."

The instructor moved in close, leaning in to get closer to Zoge. His voice was deep and layered with a lot of pent up anger. Good. Zoge could use that. "I've seen kids like you before. Think you are something because you think you are smarter than everyone else."

Zoge nodded matter-of-factly, "Indeed, Sir Tarkus. Because in my state, my mind is all I have going for me. And from the distant look in your eye, you know that Huntsman are more than power, more than skill, and more than smarts." The instructor raised a brow at that use of his name, as no one had known he had been knighted. "I may not be strong, but my tactical planning and dexterity are second to none."

The warrior stood upright, "Alright. Show me." He walked back to the arena, drawing his weapon to draw a circle in the dirt. "If you can get me to leave this circle through cunning and tactics. And no, this isn't one of those 'ask nicely and I'll step out' moments. Someone with the game you are talking up should be able to do this." Zoge paused to analyze the situation carefully before the instructor shouted again, "You don't have time to analyze all the numbers on the field, Rookie! You have ten seconds or you fail!"

Zoge scoffed a bit at this, pulling one of the pebbles free from his cloak, the chambers at the wrist of his Palette Palm rotating before a black symbol appeared on the flat of the stone. Throwing it at the instructor, he closed the distance. The older warrior laughed at the weak attempt, deflecting it with his blade and spinning with the kickback from the gravity rune. He started to take swings down at the student-to-be as the grey cloaked boy seemed to circle him, possibly looking for an opening. Eventually, the ten seconds ran out and the instructor shook his head. "A real shame you talked up such a big game. It looks like you failed."

Zoge shook his head and pointed to the ground. Looking down, the instructor realized it had been a feint. The boy had used his cloak to erase the circle. "Can't be in a circle that isn't there. While you were focused on playing by the rules you set, I removed them entirely." He tapped his head. "I told you, my mind is all I have and I don't have time to waste playing these silly games."

Mr. Tarkus looked at the boy with fascination. "Alright, I suppose that works. But remember that Beacon is to train you how to face your problems, not bypass them. To be a hero, and not a smartass." The instructor went over to his desk and pulled out his scroll, tapping a few buttons. "Admission has been submitted. With one of the higher scores I'm allowed to give." Zoge gave a respectful salute in thanks, revealing his bandaged left arm and walked away before he could be asked about it. Finally out of everyone's line of sight, he gripped his left arm with his right. It had flared up under the emotional stress of being pressured for a plan. Still, the bandages, kept it in check and after a moment, it settled. Looking at it with deep concern, he eventually started on his way for the abandoned building he had been using as shelter. Soon, he could have a proper room.


	2. A Young Flame

Kaen awoke to a knocking at his door, but more concerningly he awoke to pitch black vision. He felt himself blink a few times so they clearly weren't closed and he could hear birds so it wasn't midnight. When he heard the second round of knocking, this time done with the kind of force that might rend the door off the hinges, he remembered that he hadn't taken his smithing goggles off last night. Lifting them to his forehead, he ran his fingers through his ash dusted hair and straightened his shirt as he grumbled, "I'm comin..." Opening the door and wincing a little at the first batch of morning daylight, he looked upon a black haired man wearing a tattered red cape and wreaking of booze. Sizing him up and seeing a weapon strapped to his lower back, Kaen surmised that it was a huntsman. With a sigh of shame and dread, he asked, "Hello, Mister Huntsman. How can I help you?"

The huntsman looked him up and down in return and eventually let out a sigh of his own, "If you know what I am, then you must know about Bron. Do you know where I can find him?" Kaen nodded but still hesitated to explain. "Out with it! I have something important to talk to him about." Kaen looked away in pain and then went inside to get the sword down from the mounting on the wall. Turning to see the huntsman was already inside, Kaen noted the look of restrained mourning that the man's face took on. Coming over and taking the blade for a moment, he gave it a few swings and span the cylinders on the handle, a few small sparks coming out as he did so. He asked, "So, how did it happen?" Kaen hesitated before the man reassured him with the gentle tones of a man who understood, "Look, I'm not asking for the dirty details. Death is never easy. He was just an old drinking buddy of mine and I'd like to know he didn't go out by choking on a grape."

After a second Kaen dejectedly let it slip, "It was my fault. Things got out of hand during a training exercise and the Grimm were on us before we knew it. During the fighting, I got careless, and he died taking a hit for me I hadn't seen. After that, I don't remember what happened. Just a blur of fighting and Grimm. The villagers found me passed out in the clearing the next morning without a scratch on me. Turns out I have some kind of power that-"

The man perked up at the mention of power and laughed a little, "A self-healing semblance! That is an interesting one." Kaen looked at him confused and the man returned it. He asked in an almost accusatory manner, "You mean he didn't teach you about semblances?" Kaen shook his head. Qrow sighed, "What were you doin, Bron? Reading him fairy tales and beating him with sticks?"

Kaen laughed, "Oh, give him some credit. He taught me how to track and analyze Grimm." When the man didn't break his judgmental gaze, Kaen shrugged before continuing, "He took me in when I was eight. What would you do?"

The man looked down and swore under his breath, as if he had finally remembered a thing that had been bothering him for days, "You got a name, kid?"

Kaen smiled, "Oh, right. Yeah, I'm Kaen." He offered his hand, realizing as he did so that he was talking to a professional so he stammered out, "Ph-phoenix. Kaen Phoenix, sir." His handshake turned to a salute as he watched the huntsman roll his eyes, take out a flask and take a swig before grabbing Kaen's wrist and pulling it out of a salute.

"We are huntsman, not soldiers, kid." He explained, "You'll need to know that. Bron sent me a letter that he had a student for me. Which means you are coming with me to Beacon." Kaen took a step back at the statement, an air of apprehension about him. Qrow growled, "Oh, come on. Bron didn't raise a coward, did he?"

Kaen's voice wavered with skepticism, "I tell you my carelessness got your friend and ally killed and you still want to just take me? Just like that?" He looked at the ground, his hands shaking, "If I got him killed..."

"What? You'll get other people killed?" Qrow laughed as he picked Kaen up by the collar, "Welcome to the club. There isn't a single one of us who hasn't gotten someone killed, least of all Bron." He put Kaen down, seeming to become more resigned, "Bron saw what you could do and was willing to die for it. If you want to waste the chance he gave you, then I'll make my way out of here and..."

Kaen hesitated before he blurted, "Wait!" Qrow stopped at the door, turning back to look the boy in the eyes. Kaen looked at the floor again before, with a heavy weight in his heart, he looked back at Qrow. "Alright, I'll go. But, you should probably wait outside the town. Huntsman aren't really welcome around here."

Qrow nodded, "I got that vibe. Was that Bron's doing?"

Kaen shook his head, "My mom used to tell me that anyone looking for a fight in this world will find one and as far as the villagers are concerned, your entire job is looking for Grimm to fight." Qrow looked out the door at the gathering crowd of suspicious faces and nodded, seeming to understand. He walked out mumbling something about not making him wait too long and went towards the edge of town. Kaen let out another sigh, waving shyly at the villagers now staring through his open door. Closing the door awkwardly, he began grabbing things and putting them into his satchel. His hammer, some of the metal his mom taught him to make, some various screws and bolts, and finally he took the blade down off the wall. He found himself staring as the sword weighed heavy in his palm and on his heart. After a moment, he strapped it to his lower back using a length of leather. Finally, he belted his pair of long swords and his pair of short swords before throwing on his jacket and putting his massive blade onto his back. Looking himself over, he laughed a little. He was practically a mobile armory and he loved it. A lesser man would have found movement impossible, but to him it was just weight training.

Leaving, he found the entire village gathered outside of his abode. Before he could speak up, Gelo came running out of the throng to hug him, crying as he did so. Kaen laughed awkwardly and knelt down to be at eye level with the boy. Gelo's forest green eyes locked with his own as the boy said through tears, "You can't leave. I won't let you." Kaen smirked with amusement which just caused the boy to cry even harder and hug him harder.

Kaen waited for the tears to die down a little, surprised to look around the town and see many having a similar response. Once Gelo calmed down, Kaen fished for the bracelet he had made last night with his off hand as he patted Gelo on the shoulder. "Close your eyes. I have something for you." The boy collected himself and did as he was told, at least at first. When the boy tried to peek, Kaen just covered his eyes with his hand. Pulling it free from the bag, he took Gelo's hand and slipped it on. The steel bracelet shone in the morning sun, engraved on the outer band was a river filled with fish. On the inside of the band was his family crest, a phoenix with wings spread wide. The boy was excited to get the bracelet, but still hugged with a force Kaen didn't think possible for one so young. He spoke whispered, "While I'm gone Gelo, I want you to look after everyone, okay? Work hard to make sure everyone is happy here. Can you do that?" The boy nodded. "Perfect. I gotta go tho." The boy grumbled another no and hung from Kaen like a necklace as the young warrior tried to leave. Walking over to the boy's mother, he got another hug before the young one was removed from him.

Trying to leave once more, the village elder stood before him, eyes dry as the desert. Despite the lack of emotion on his face, his voice was warm and reassuring, "Well boy, I am glad you are going on your journey, but I hate to see you go." Kaen nodded sadly, not wanting to make eye contact, "Don't be that way, boy. Goodbyes are inevitable, but they don't have to be permanent. While I know you have a lot to learn, I want you to know that you carry your home everywhere. We are always your family." Kaen gave him a quick and powerful hug to which the village elder just smiled and patted him softly on the back.

* * *

It had been a few days journey on foot, Qrow using the time to give Kaen proper words for the lessons that his mentor had been giving him. While not having been formally schooled, Kaen could always understand practical things. He learned to count through hammer strokes and counting the repetitions of his exercises. He learned to read most words from either reading recipes or the story books Bron had shown him. He learned to fight by dueling with Bron and hunting Grimm. Still, Qrow seemed to find his ignorance baffling.

As they approached a cliff, Qrow pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. "Alright, so, here is some required reading to fill you in on what has been going on in Vale proper. Get on these as soon as you can. Alright?" He handed the paper to Kaen who tucked it into his pocket before shooting Qrow a quizzical look. "What?"

"Well, I mean, we have time for you to just tell me, right?" Kaen looked about and the lack of an academy building made him certain this can't be right.

"We really don't. And even if we did, I wouldn't have the patience for it." Qrow smirked as a shuttle landed nearby. "And there they are." He motioned dismissively, "Go over there and introduce yourself. I've gotta get going." Before Kaen could voice a complaint, the raven haired warrior had already jumped off the cliff. Looking over the edge, Kaen saw no sign of him. Kaen's eyes sparkled as he realized how cool master Huntsmen were.

Following instructions, Kaen went up to the shuttle and paused as he saw someone come out with fluffy green ears on their head and a cat tail to match. He stared in disbelief. Central Vale was a very weird place. The cat gave a small cartwheel as they got further from the shuttle and then laughed, "Finally! I can't stand being all cooped up." They did a few flips, either out of enthusiasm or just to show off, causing Kaen to let out a laugh. They turned and upon seeing Kaen, lowered their shades, revealing striking emerald eyes that sized him up curiously. Staring back, Kaen saw something in their eyes that removed all doubt that it was a girl no more than a year or two younger than him. He waved and she returned her shades to their original position and waved back as stylishly as she could.

The next one that followed was a boy with a similar frame to Kaen, muscular and bulky with scattered scars, who bore a blade similar in size and weight to Kaen's own, but the design was far more complex. The boy gave him a single glance before letting out a sigh and moving towards the cliff, each step looking as though the boy carried the weight of the world. Kaen made a mental note to introduce himself.

And then came the teacher, a green haired man with glasses so polished that the sheen made his eyes impossible to see. And that was all Kaen could see leaving the shuttle before it was directly in his face, "Ah, Mister Phoenix! I'm glad you could arrive. I am Professor Oobleck, your instructor for this test. I am glad to see you made it to the testing grounds safely. How did you enjoy your trip out from the country? No trouble I presume?" Kaen took a breath and shook his head before the man grabbed him by the shoulders and continued, "Good! Allow me to catch you up on the exam! There are eight of you total. You were each assigned by lottery to a team. Sorry that you weren't there to draw for yourself but I drew for you and I must say your team was rather pleased to have you!" Kaen was about to speak again when the Professor continued, "No need to thank me. We don't have time for that. The test is simple. There are three flags in the woods out there, along with Grimm." He leaned in and whispered, "A great many of them." Before he continued again, "Your team's goal is to collect all three flags by any means. Are we understood?" Kaen nodded only to find himself suddenly at the edge of the cliff. "EXCELLENT! Well, you can introduce yourself properly during the exam. Have fun!" Before Kaen could tell what had just happened, he felt himself propelled through the air.

This had been the first time he had ever been thrown from this far up. Orienting himself quickly, he saw the trees closing distance rather fast. Pulling his massive blade from his back, he put it in front of him as a shield. As the metal met with the branches, a shower of splinters and leaves surrounded him. He was relieved that it was working, until the metal finally met trunk. The tree proved more sturdy than its branches and Kaen felt the wind knocked out of him before he bounced off the vegetation, twirling through the air like a ragdoll as he dropped his blade and bounced along the ground for a short distance. As he got up and brushed himself off, he heard a rather soft spoken voice ask, "Are you sure you are okay? That looked painful." He stared for a moment at a girl with a gentle face and lavender colored hair.

Seeing genuine but misplaced concern, he laughed, "Nah, I'm good. Just a bit of a tumble. I'll be fine."

"Looks as though we have an equal for the silverback then." Kaen turned and saw a boy with the same white hair as the one before but decisively less mass and far more lithe a frame. The softer features and ice blue eyes told him that beyond the hair, the two weren't even remotely close to the same genepool. The boy tried, poorly by Kaen's standards, to hide his frame within a grey cloak that encircled his entirety. It was clear to a trained eye that he was doing all he possibly could to hide his movements from prying eyes. "Quick introductions. Zoge LaBlanc. Tactician and trap master." The boy nodded his head to the girl, "Amaranthine Salvia. Swordsmaiden and marksman." She coughed a little in response to the introduction as if wanting to express a reservation but then clearly chose not to. The boy clearly read this but ignored it, "Our final member. Olive Merlinus. Scout and gunslinger."

Kaen picked up on the serious nature this boy was taking this and couldn't help but approach him with an attempt at the same level of severity, his tone warmer than his new 'tactician', "Kaen Phoenix. I suppose you think I'm the muscle. You wouldn't be wrong."

The boy cut him off with mild impatience and total indifference, "And mobile armory it seems. Could you carry any more weapons?"

The girl looked ready to speak up for Kaen but dropped silent when he spoke for himself, "You aren't the first one to ask that and you won't be the last. Important part is I have an answer for every occasion." With an expression as cold as stone, the boy's hand darted out quickly, hoping to prove a point by snatching one of Kaen's swords, he suspected. Instead the hand froze in mid-movement when a blade shot out of Kaen's sleeve. The blade in question was similar in appearance to a skirmisher's shield, if not for the telescoping nature. It was just about as long as it was wide and nearly an inch thick from the back of Kaen's hand up. The boy returned his hand before Kaen could get a good look and gave a nod. Past the icy stare, Kaen could tell he had passed whatever strange test this boy leveled. Retracting the blade, Kaen turned to lead the way blindly into the woods when the cat girl from before landed in front of him. Her suit was still oddly crisp, her black tie held firmly by a silver tie clip. Kaen offered his hand, "Name's Kaen. You must be Olive. Gonna be honest, never thought I would see some kinda cat girl when I got roped into this."

Olive paused, her tail flicking in annoyance, but before he could apologize she walked a quick circle around him, her ears turning on her head as she did so. After a moment she nodded, "Gotcha. Salt of the earth from under a rock. Right?"

Kaen laughed and nodded, "Dead on. And you are a girl who loves what she does and being a clever dick, right?" She smiled at him, her tail still flicking but with less annoyance. "When we aren't on a mission, you and I need to get some exercise in. Would be lying if I said I wasn't curious as all hell."

Amy gasped a little in surprise, Kaen stammering a little as he tried to fix it, but Olive did it for him. "Damn skippy. I am desperate for a sparring partner that I don't want to kick the teeth in of." She sighed, "In the meantime, we need to move. Two of them are directly north of here, one to the northwest and the other is even further north, seemingly just sitting next to their flag."

"Their flag?"

Zoge sighed with extreme annoyance, "Clearly a capture the flag scenario. Each team gets a flag and the third is supposed to operate as a secondary objective and distraction. Goal is to get all three."

Kaen tapped his chin in thought. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he could tell something was wrong here. Amy stammered out, "That sounds wise. Olive, where is ours? Maybe I could stay and guard it?"

"Excellent idea, Miss Salvia. As for the location, I landed at it. Due east. I'll lead you to it and set up a perimeter. You two, it would be best to stick together if possible." The white haired wraith of a boy motioned with his head to Amy who seemed relieved at the idea.

Kaen still couldn't shake the feeling. As if sensing this, Olive asked, "You got a plan, chief?" He tried to shake his head no but she growled, "Spit it out, Coatboy."

He shot her a look of confusion over the nickname before he relented, "Its just that... why would they test us with a game? Huntsman don't fight each other."

She laughed at him, "Oh, come on! Where? In fairy tales? Read a history book! Huntsman fight each other all the time. Besides, this is an entrance exam. They can't accept all of us." He sighed and relented that she was probably right. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were doing this all wrong.


	3. Testing Grounds

To Olive's ears, this entire forest was easy to navigate but her targets blurry around the edges. Even worse, she had to drag the bulky wreck that is Coat Boy. She could tell that the pair were clearly trying to find her flag but she trusted her lackeys to keep it safe. You had a princess trained with a sword... rifle... thing and Short Pale and Cocky. Divide and conquer would be better than mirroring their tactics. To the east was a girl nearly as cheery and energetic as her companion, but with less of the muscle and more of the brains. And then she could hear the crooning voice of that human guy who thought he was all that with his fabulous flowing copper hair and his exposed abs and his... She eventually stopped on her branch and gave a sigh. "Yo, Coat Boy!"

He looked up at her with a relaxed smile that did honestly endear this idiot to her. "Sup, Oli. You got something?" She bristled a bit at that nickname, but knew he didn't mean anything by it. He didn't know, it was fine. Still, he sighed and apologized, "Sorry. Just, if I'm Coat Boy, I need one for you."

She sighed and said, "Oli is fine. Don't worry about that. You got two options. Abs is at the flag, Sunshine is off to the west, and I'm sure she will find you." He nodded, seemed to think about it, and then motioned her north as he went west. Good. She couldn't wait to kick Abs in his stupid perfect teeth. She was willing to bet he thought he was better than her too. As she jumped to a new branch she mused that her method of travel, as fun as it was, was almost certainly the least stealthy way one could travel a forest. But did she care more about doing this stealthy or all cool like? After a bit of reflection she realized style was more important right now. She needed this to look cool and effortless, like she is too good for them. That would show them and certainly get her where she wanted to go once she got into the school.

As she started to move further she began to hear that she wasn't the only one in these parts of the woods and a thought slowly began to form in her mind. A truly evil thought. She laughed to herself as she dropped into the bushes and allowed her ears to scan the forest. Her semblance was so useful in places like this. She could create a mental image of her entire surroundings with sound. Perfect awareness of her immediate surroundings, an idea of what something probably looked like from quite a way away, and even more than that, she could sometimes 'see' around corners or through walls. All she had to do was be able to hear it. She had grown used to calling it her Echolocation but that is what happens when you live among the faunas for so long. Wait, focus. She could hear it. An Ursa. And a big one. It was lurking in a cave not far from here. There was a few Beowulves about a mile away from her other two teammates and a Death Stalker currently engaging her two wandering foes. Perfect. No one to get in her way.

* * *

Scarlet Percy leaned against a tree near the ten foot tall pole that bore the regal flag bearing the crest of Beacon Academy. It sat nestled in its home, recently installed into the ancient remains of what noble city what once must have lain here. He watched it absentmindedly from beneath his bang as he scribbled various bits of poetic verse and notes into the dirt with a stick. Humming the notes a bit more as he continued to wait in this entirely dreary clearing, he grabbed his mic stand and began to tap his foot to the rather basic 4/4 beat he had decided upon. Not creative in the slightest but the old reliable standby for most songs. Just as he was about to belt out the first note, it became as if time froze. A spray of splintering wood engulfed the edge of the clearing as an Ursa burst in. An unfortunate and sudden party crasher. A moment later, Scar's sapphire gaze hardened. He was going to have to deal with this like every party crasher.

He mounted his mic back on its stand and ran up to the beast, smacking it hard in its bony face with the feet of it, hoping to pierce it, if only a little. His stand held up and he at least had its attention now. Flipping back off the mask, he ran to the side of it, putting his micstand over his shoulder as he dove under and to the opposite side. The beast turned to the side he had ran on, leaving him a chance to leap up onto its back. It swiped at him with one of its paws but he slid under on his knees before taking the stand back into his hands and used his one true weapon. His voice. Pressing a button just below the reciever, he gave his most metal scream into it. The dust inside activated and he could feel the air in front of him reverberate something fierce, visibly bending the creature in front of him. Some would mistake it for a trick of the light, but he could feel it himself. In mere moments, whatever had been inside the head of the beast must have been turned to goo. For a certainty, at least the faceplate was naught but powder, and as he felt it vanishing beneath him, he pushed off with his feet, landing a stylish front flip in the black mist that was once the Grimm, his mic in one hand, his fingers pointed to the non-existent crowd with the other. His pose was just how he would have done it if that had been a live show.

As he turned with a confident laugh, he saw the green one. "Sup, Kit. Came for our flag?"

The cat just smiled as they adjusted their tie, "Took that when you went to fight the Ursa. Came back to kick your teeth in, Abs."

Scar couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, cat has claws and a naughty streak. Might have to put little kitty witty in their place." They both smiled, but he could tell they both were lying. There she was. A faunas pretending she was above it all. For a faunas to get this far, someone had to have given a bribe or something and he wasn't about to let a spoiled brat like that take away all his work. The two closed the distance, them going high as he went low. As the cat flipped over his knee slide he felt something brush against his cheek. He looked back in confusion as he swore he saw some of his hair on the ground. Trying to move, he could feel something... wires. Of course the cat couldn't fight fair. But this wasn't his first concert nor his first barroom brawl. As soon as he got his feet flat on the ground, he charged her, loosing his microphone from its holster and twirling it as he did. Their smile weakened a little as they side stepped his charge, flipping expertly between their own razor wire gathered by the power cord of the mic. He laughed, "I see how it is. Cowards like always." The cat bristled at this, not seeming to notice him prepping his mic. He was pretty sure liquefying a classmate would be a big no-no, but he was certain he wouldn't need to. Not with big ears like those. He took a deep breath and began his song.

* * *

Tanin sat on a rock surrounded by tall grass grumbling to herself as she bashed out a few lines of command code to her little multi-limbed repair drone. She had yet to create a more streamlined interface for it, or a name, but this was more precise anyway. If she raw coded it then at least she knew that any fault in the commands was her. As she watched, looking for any overly stressed points on the joints and making sure she was giving just the right amount of force to the hydraulics as it did basic servicing to her weapon. As she sat there, she heard a snapping branch and turned in surprise to see the rather unassuming late comer from earlier. She pressed a button, the drone leaping back onto her back and attaching to her wrist and ankle cufflinks. He held up his hands and shook his head, "I didn't mean to scare you. Just figured it couldn't hurt to say hi."

She worried this was an act, but something about him seemed familiar. After a moment she nodded and sighed, "I'm sorry. Wyte got a crazy idea in his head and it made Robin all murder happy and next thing I know I'm over here giving up on..." She grumbled, "Pretty much everything I ever wanted." The boy drew closer and nodded, sitting next to her on the rock. She pressed the button again, the drone detaching before she started to hard code the actions again. "We are supposed to be a team is all."

The boy seemed to think about that for a moment before letting out a sigh of his own, "Well, Miss... Sunshine, you feel like putting that right or are you gonna be doing more shenanigans with that thingy?"

"They aren't going to listen to me. I'm just a mechanic. He's a merc, she's a noble, and... actually, I don't know what Scar is."

He patted her on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of her in the process, "You never know until you try, right? Let's find the third flag and get everyone in on the same page. I'm sure if we just talk to them they will get it." He stood and offered his hand, "We ARE all in this together, right?"

She looked him up and down, his brown eyes seeming so gentle and genuine from beneath the bangs of his dirty blonde hair. After turning her mouth in contemplation she had to admit it to herself. If it did turn out this was a competition she could just take it from him with the rest of the team, but also that it just wasn't her style. She came here to save people, not fight. She looked him in the eye and spoke with resolve, "Alright. But I'm gonna need a name."

He chuckled and rubbed his neck, "Guess you do. Name's Kaen. And I doubt your name is Sunshine with how she talks."

Tanin blinked in confusion, wondering why Amaranthine would call her Sunshine. But still she replied, "Tanin. Tanin Mercer. Pleasure to work with you, K."

* * *

Amy stood atop the flagpole, eyes closed as she listened to the world around her, but found herself distracted by how different it sounded here than home. She was used to hearing the birds, smelling the flowers on the air. But here, all she could hear was the wind through the trees and nothing else. It made it even harder to make balancing on a pole in a weighted Kimono an instinctual act. Why? Why was this such a struggle for her? She was a Swordmaiden of Salvia she should be more poised than this. More centered and collected, even when she might have to... She didn't want to think about it. She heard something that sounded as if a massive Grimm had come looking for a meal but opening her eyes and scanning the horizon didn't seem to bear fruit.

Still, she felt she was being watched. A scan of the treeline caused her to briefly see a shock of white among the branches before it vanished again. Mister LaBlanc must be continuing to create the perimeter he was speaking of before. She wasn't sure how he was, but she wasn't sure she needed to. She didn't know she was going to have a team when she came here, but that was wondrous. She would have others that could fill in for her obvious lack and to spend her off times with.

Just as she heard another, more subdued roar in the distance, she also saw someone fly up past the treetops. A girl about her age with a stunning shade of light blue for her hair wearing a flowing royal blue sequined dress that sparkled distractingly in the sunlight. She activated her eyes to try and get a moment to come to grips with the strangeness of what she just saw, staring in disbelief but even moreso when the bulky white haired swordsman from before rose upon the wind current and grabbed the girl by the back of her dress with one hand before swinging his blade with his other and launching them towards Amy. She didn't want to do this, but it appeared that at least for now, Zoge and Olive had been right. As she felt the headache set in, she put her hand on the hilt to her blade and deactivated her semblance, leaping from atop the flag to land in the clearing and await what she was sure would be a dramatic confrontation between her and her foes.

Her foe landed and placed his companion down upon the ground and as he did, She laughed confidently, "Oh my! Two noblewomen face off against each other. But unlike you, I brought some muscle to aid me! I guess I should have suspected such a failing in transplanted royalty."

This caused Amy to hesitate and examine the girl again before bolting in surprise and embarrassment, "Oh my! Robin? Robin Azure? I'm sorry I didn't recognize you until now it is a pleasure to see you again but I wish it was-"

"Cease with your mocking pleasantries, Salvia!" Amy was shocked that she had seemed mocking only to realize with the followup statement that it was not a fault of hers. "Not only do I get to enter into one of the greatest establishments of Vale but in the process I get to deny you a chance to share in the glory of our nation!" As she went on, the swordsman rolled his eyes and began walking towards the flag, only for a small stone to land under his boot and encase his entire calf in stone. Robin continued, "To think that our leaders have allowed an enemy nation to have a minor kingdom of their own in these lands is embarassing."

Amy corrected, "It is closer to a dukedom or shogunate." The swordsman readied to bash the stone off his leg only to have another stone strike his raised arm and encase his hand, handle, and forearm all the way up to the elbow in stone as well. The swordsman growled, pulled the stone encased leg from the ground, crushing it with a firm downward step.

"It is ACTUALLY GARBAGE! Your family lives on their land without ever serving the very nation that gave you such land and yet you feel entitled to join its greatest institution!" She shook her head scornfully, "Have you no shame?" A grey blur shot from the woods, as series of stones flying ahead of him, one shooting fire towards Wyte's face to distract while another just barely missed his stone covered hand and instead struck him in the ribs and released a heavy punch of gravity. Some scattered themselves ahead and the blur stepped on one of them as a gust of wind propelled him into the air, giving him a new angle of attack.

Amy lost her warmth for a moment as it became more and more clear that all those parties she had attended with various others who shared her station as the next generation of nobility didn't mean as much to Robin as it did to her. She felt her hand shaking a little at the thought, but she drew her blade and closed the distance between her and Robin, feeling the drag of the kimono as it gave Robin a window to prepare her weapon. As her blade met with the steel bayonet on one of Robin's pistols, she coldly said, "You have no right to speak of-" Amy found herself cut off by a shot from the other pistol she hadn't noticed.

"Blah Blah Blah, some tripe about honor and dignity. This is why Mystral lost the war you know. If you had simply finished what you started, the White Fang wouldn't be causing problems for us now." Robin attached the two guns, a shaft telescoping out of the combination. "Your dedication to that duelist's weapon is adorable. It will be as foolish as your family when my bodyguard and I destroy you. Right, Wyte?" Robin did not break eye contact with Amy for quite awhile before the silence in response became deafening. She seemed offended until she looked away and realized that Wyte had vanished. Amy was doubting she even noticed the fight that had been unfolding as she had ranted. Seizing her chance, Amy put the handle of her blade into her sheath and pulled it back out for the combination to finish expanding and form a naginata before moving with more quiet and decisive movements to close the distance.

* * *

Zoge was impressed and disappointed at the same time. An impractical weapon with impractical features and a wind manipulation semblance that would be better served with a more elegant weapon, and yet this boy had been using a style of swordsmanship Zoge had never seen documentation for. Understandable as it wasn't taking much to throw the form off and cause Wyte to slice himself open. A high risk style of combat that was far more dangerous than the risks it posed. If you could land a hit with a technique like that, especially with a semblance like that, the damage would be more than worth it. Between flat stones he had collected and putting runes on some of the leaves before his opponent would fell trees with a single swing he was managing to win this as a war of attrition. Odd to him was that the boy seemed hardly phased by the damage he was doing himself. Unconcerned about the oddly high amount of blood he was drawing from himself. Concerning.

Wyte shouted, "This really your game plan? Keep me isolated from the flag by dragging me into the woods and chipping away? So lame. I can't believe I got stuck fighting a headcase like you." It looked like he was trying to head back towards the flag again and so Zoge pressed a button on his glove, causing the rune on one of the nearby trees to shoot out a massive energy blast and knocking Wyte into a different tree. Wyte growled, "I am this close to ripping down this whole forest because of you."

"Why not? It would make fighting Grimm a lot easier for the next batch to come through. Or is it that you prefer to not think? Prefer to just bash away until nothing is left standing?" The cold and analytical tone seemed to just agitate him further so Zoge continued, "Nothing but muscle and anger." His tone grew harsher and darker, "Naught but a wild animal pretending to be a man." That must have hit a nerve because with a massive swing and a terrifying gust of wind, Wyte felled every tree between him and the flag, nearly striking his own slowly arriving teammates in the process. Zoge smirked from an unfelled tree further into the woods. It was always good to get in the head of your opponents.

* * *

Olive ran into the clearing with the flag she had stolen, Scar right behind her. She avoided being directly in front of him if she could, knowing that as much as she loved his singing voice, the pressure waves were the only dangerous part to her and there was something much worse to be aware of. As she did, she noticed Robin and Amy's fight. Robin had some sort of multi sectioned whip with what looked like a spearhead with guns in it? What the he-

Olive didn't have time to question that. Hearing Robin rant off some nonsense or another as she wrapped her weapon around Amy's neck. Amy seemed pale and to be staring at the bloody mess of a guy who was marching out of the woods as Zoge was throwing rocks at him like some prankster. She didn't have time for any of these people. Not if her ears were right. She did a few flips to help her aim and bounced out of a backhandspring into a double booted dropkick into Robin's head, throwing the young noble off her balance and allowing Olive to stick the landing on the side of her head. Leaping off as Scarlet swung his mic at her, she winced as she heard the slight feedback of it making contact with Amy who sounded like she had begun to vomit. She threw the flag at the bloody guy as she shouted, "Zoge! Goliath! I thought it was just chillin but it is coming right here!"

As she said this, a rather weedy girl came running out of the woods, some form of tech on her back and arms, the flag sticking up from her back like it was a war banner, but her expression was far less cheerful than Olive remembered. "We all have to get out of here! He's holding it off but I don't know how long we have."

Olive seemed at a loss, a pit forming in her stomach. There was only one of them not here which meant... that damned idiot! Why would he try to take something like that on? She tried to size up who was in any condition to help. Robin was concussed, Amy was a shaking mess, and Tanin looked like a scared little girl. She looked over at Scar who locked eyes with her before nodding. She could tell he felt just as she did. It was sweet but stupid. She checked for Zoge but he was nowhere to be found and all she saw of Wyte was the blood trail leading into the woods. She and Scar nodded before running into the woods.

Kaen could feel it as fresh as ever. That dread. That nameless fear as he stared into the eyes of this massive beast. He had managed to lure it away from the rest for the moment, but it clearly had its mind set on him. As the massive shadow elephant began to close the distance, it got into position to attempt to gore him on its tusks, he threw his blade ahead of himself, jumping and spinning as he deployed his armblades and bracing them as he shielded himself from such an attack. The force behind this beast was ludicrous, carving his blade through the ground as if pushing a spoon through oatmeal. He had never seen a Grimm this large. He had no name for it. But he knew that regardless of shape or size, it was made of the same darkness and lust for death as the rest. Same as any other, just bigger. Still, at times like this, that is a problem. Realizing it wasn't going to be stopping soon, he twisted his hip, jumping off his blade and drawing his long swords, cutting its left tusk off. It continued on its course, luckily not crushing his cleaver in the charge. As it doubled back for a second pass, he ran over and grabbed the handle of the fallen weapon, digging in his heals in hopes he could get just one good swing in.

As it got closer, he felt someone step on his shoulder and jump off, followed by another one. He looked up to see Olive and some man in a red unbuttoned shirt and violet velvet gloves sailing through the air in a clear attempt to get atop the beast. Shortly after he saw what looked to be a bundle of grey fabric go sailing in behind them. After that, he saw the boy from before, covered in now dried blood dig in his heels too. He said sternly, "You get the right, I'll take the left. Sound good?"

Kaen hated this, but he nodded and readied his blade. They were in danger because of him. He sent Tanin to sound the warning and get them clear, and here they were. Cleaning up his mess. Putting themselves in danger because of what he brought here. Keeping the fact that he was kicking himself hidden, he waited for his chance.

Atop the beast, Zoge spoke firmly, "Scarlet, weaken the plate. Olive, once he does, break it off with a shot or two from your dust gun." They both looked nervous from the look in his eye, but nodded, Scar pressing the button on his stand and let his voice give out one last hoarse roar as he slowly realized that as effective as this was, he needed to find more dust combinations if he was going to do this daily. When it began to become unstable, Olive quickly and accurately popped shots into it before it had a tear-off line and then kicked it free. As soon as she did, she noticed Zoge pulling something that looked like bandages out of his cloak. As soon as she did, the cuts to the legs that Zoge had ordered threw her clear of the beast and gave his arm the momentum it needed to pierce the hide. He winced as the poisonous black aura spilled off of his left arm but he found the sensation of it plunging into the beast far worse. To insert your arm into a beast made of pure death was not something he would advise. Still, in mere moments, he could tell it was doing its job and he re-wrapped the bandage before leaping off the beast, leaving nothing but a shadowy mist as it dissipated.

Olive and Scarlet looked at that with joy and pride, Wyte joining them in standing triumphant in their task. Kaen however noticed the sickly look Zoge had and quickly ran over to catch him. Not sure what had just happened, he found himself being hissed at by the frail boy. "Not a word, Phoenix." Sensing there was more to this, Kaen dropped it for now, fully aware that he had stories of his own he would rather not share.

When they all returned, there stood Ozpin. "Well, I must admit that it looked rather rough for you all out there for a moment, and yet here you stand. You took care of that complication just as true huntsman do. And here are all three flags. United as you were tasked. Quite a road getting there as well, but Miss Mercer and Miss Salvia came to an agreement to an alliance for everyone's sake." As if speaking to everyone, "They realized what all huntsmen should. There is only one team. Us versus the Grimm." He smiled softly but Kaen could feel there was something else behind it. "That said, you united the flags and defeated a rather sizable Grimm. I believe that qualifies you to join the academy. Welcome to Beacon. I look forward to seeing who you all become. Until then, return yourselves to the Cliff where Professor Oobleck will return you all to the academy. See you at the inauguration." And he began to walk into the woods as if it was a peaceful and quiet day.


	4. Tempered Memories

Kaen looked out the side of the shuttle as it made its way to the academy, sitting in the back at Zoge's request, the white haired waif's already pale skin even more flushed as he hid very well how weak he felt. Kaen looked him over carefully when he put him here, but with only minor adjustments Zoge was able to make himself look relatively normal by keeping himself supported with the wall next to his seat. After a long silence, Kaen said, "If you don't want to tell me, I won't ask. That said, if you ever need my help, just ask."

Zoge spat quietly, "I'm not some pathetic charity case. You'd be better spent giving someone else your sympathy."

Kaen spoke firmly, "You defeated that beast. Pathetic is the last word I would use. But who I offer help to is my choice not yours. Your only say is if you ask me for it." The silence returned, more hollow than before. As though any words that could have been said just were and Kaen took some pride in that. As he sat there, Tanin made quick changes between chairs, slowly make her way back to Kaen and Zoge. She had been near the front keeping an eye on Robin, but now that the young noblewoman seemed to have mostly recovered, Tanin clearly had wanted to finish her conversation with him from earlier. Kaen had no idea how to explain how bad an idea that was. He was just about to resign himself to this ending badly for everyone when she suddenly got a nervous look and decided to stay put halfway down the shuttle. Confused, Kaen looked around only to see Zoge acting suspiciously inconspicuous.

As if being poked with a sharp stick, Zoge grumbled, "I don't like people. Or noise. Besides, you didn't want to talk to her."

"How could you know that?"

"You have an honest face. Tells anyone anything they want to know about you. You really need to work on that." The boy adjusted himself further, pulling his cloak around him like a blanket.

Kaen smiled softly and when it was returned with a glare, he laughed, "Alright. So, who did you lose?" Zoge remained unresponsive, so Kaen continued, "Cause for someone who hates people, you seem oddly keen on saving them."

Zoge looked Kaen dead in the eyes, and with great purpose said, "I'm dying. Was told I would be lucky to make it to fourty. More likely I'll be dead by twenty-five. Wanna be best friends with a man with an expiration date?" Kaen laughed a little and nodded. The look in return was one of profound pity hidden as disgust. "Then you are an idiot and a fool."

Kaen thought about it and nodded, disarming his seat buddy. "Sounds about right. But the way Bron told it, most heroes are." He sighed, his mind drifting to those peaceful days, "Naive enough to think they can change the world and strong enough to try." Zoge seemed to get quieter from that, but a glance at his eyes made clear he had begun trying to solve a problem. Kaen decided to leave it there for now, feeling he made his point.

* * *

Olive grumbled under her breath as she glared at Scar from across the way. Both of them had turned to rest their legs on the seat next to them. Olive doing all she could to look relaxed and Scar obviously posing for a damned magazine. She hated him so much. Walking around like he was a gift from god. As she sat there seething in her own fury, he eventually broke the silence, his tone filled with his own, "So, what pack leader paid your tuition kitty? Was it daddy? You gonna be the next first lady of the pride?"

Olive smirked at him and snarked, "Sorry, to disappoint Abs, but I got in on good grades alone. Unlike you guys, there are no sure things for us. We have to actually work if we want to do something with our lives." He seemed to narrow his eyes as if looking for a lie so she shot back, "What manor did you get your hair done? Must have a killer gym."

He sized her up before relenting, "If you must know, I paid my way in myself. I worked hard to earn my way out of the gutter. Kicked more than my fair share of ass and paid the instructor to not leave a note about something." His laughed, clearly putting on a show again, "Other than that, I earned all of this glory and you are welcome to behold."

She laughed and responded sarcastically, "Really? I didn't take you for that kind of guy."

Before she could continue, she found herself tickled by his response, "Man, woman. Human, Faunas. Hell, I'm sure there are some help kiosks that were left with a crush on little old me. To hide it away would be a travesty to my majesty." She couldn't tell if he had seen through her little show, but she was no longer sure it mattered. He looked over at the now terrified looking Tanin and moved his legs, motioning her over. Tanin hesitated but eventually joined them. Scar gave a grandiose motion to the flat chested and reedy girl and her overalls and said, "Alright, Nina. Which of us do you think is better?"

Tanin's face went crimson as she punched him in the gut, her exosuit causing him to oof as the wind was forced out of him. Olive smirked her toothy grin and began slow gentle movements of her own, flowing like water as she teased, "Oh, come now, Sunshine. You can't be telling me you would prefer a male stripper over someone of true class like me." Her voice lowered a little, her humor nearly slipping into her tone, "Besides, isn't the forbidden fruit of the Faunas all the sweeter? Think of the taboo."

Tanin pulled out a socket wrench from her pocket and threw it at Olive, who tried to catch it with her teeth. This however was a stupid mistake because Tanin can apparently throw very hard. She huffed, "First the death glare and now jokes at my expense. You guys are the worst." Only slightly dazed from the wrench, Olive smirked a little. That was fun. Just having fun. No muss. No fuss. No strings. Drama free.

Scar sighed from his seat as he watched her go before looking back at Olive. "You got any siblings?"

Olive nodded after a moment of consideration, "You?"

Scar nodded, "Mine is a bit of a showboat. And you know if I say it that it is bad." Olive laughed uncontrollably. Scar continued, "It's true, kitty. Real shame for him is that we haven't spoken in so long." Olive raised her brows as if to ask why and he just looked away, hiding his face behind his bangs, "It is a long story. But anyway, tell me about yours."

Olive shrugged, "Your brother might be a showboat but I doubt he could outdo my bro. Man has an ego and flair for the dramatic he puts Sparkles over there to shame." The two laughed as Scar motioned her to share.

* * *

Amy sat there, doing her best to focus on her breathing. She had to focus on something else. Anything else. But with him sitting in here the smell was everywhere. She tried to bury her mouth in her kimono, now seriously wishing she hadn't taken Lav's advice. The weights in the sleeves were just taking her already tired arms and making them hurt worse. Still, it was better than passing out here, or vomiting again. She had to block it out. Those were just memories.

Robin tapped her foot on the floor of the shuttle as she huffed, "Can't believe I was defeated by one blow from a lowly faunas." more tapping ensued before she continued to whine, "And a cheap shot, as they always do…. I suppose you have to admire their cunning though. It is that sort of cunning we have to use if we ever hope to catch those foul beasts."

Amy could hear his voice, but all it did was cause the image of him from the exam, "Could you maybe stop talking... Like, forever? If you did I promise you the world would be thankful."

She seemed deeply offended before she dramatically insisted, "I could have died, I'll have you know. Brain trauma is no joke. And if I died to a faunas, who would have avenged me? Scar isn't the blood hungry sort. I assumed it would have been you. Isn't that your job as my bodyguard?"

"I NEVER agreed to that."

"Of course you did! I am the heiress to the Azure family fortune. And I could put in a good word for you. Get you into my father's elite guard. A steady paycheck, roof over your head, and a measure of dignity."

"Barking up the wrong tree. I don't really do orders."

Robin huffed like a child before a silence took over the front end of the shuttle which Amy really wished it hadn't all of this was beginning to be a bit much. How much longer until they got to the academy? Suddenly she felt something dropping around her head. She went to pull her blade, but her shaking hands made it catch on the sheath. Once it snapped into place however, she felt pressure on her face, but the smell was gone. She heard Tanin speak, "I know. It is all coppery and gives a massive headache. Couldn't you have done literally anything to clean yourself up, Wyte?" Silence. Amy tried to speak but she could feel that she would only stammer so she restrained herself. "You mind if I sit here? You seem like good company." Amy motioned blindly to the seat next to her as if inviting her. As soon as Tanin was in place, Amy tested this new arrangement. Tanin had too narrow a profile to block her scabby companion, but between the mask and Tanin just being there, she was beginning to feel a little better.

Amy spoke shakily, "I apologize. I find myself under the weather, but your company is welcome."

Tanin smiled reassuringly, "Well, I mean, I wouldn't be feeling too well if someone had started choking me out." Amy looked at the floor, not sure if she should try to explain. Instead she felt a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way. Robin went too far by doing that." She spoke louder, "Shouldn't have happened to a fellow student at all!"

Robin looked ready to speak in her own defense but instead had Wyte put a hand over her mouth, "You really need to learn when not to speak, princess." Robin glared at him but after a moment she went a bit pale too. Amy laughed weakly, realizing that the smell of blood was a bit too much even for a girl like that. Tanin beamed at Amy before joining in the laugh. And had Robin not fainted Amy was sure she would have been furious at both of them.

* * *

As the shuttle came into view of the academy proper, the students slowly filing out, Kaen nearly tripping as he did so, trying to wrap his mind around all this stuff. They had this pristine marble look about it, metal posts baring glass housings and banners for the school. The building itself looked larger than any other he had seen. Could be a city in its own right, by Kaen's metric. As he stared in awe, he eventually got bumped. Turning to see who it was, he saw the white haired swordsman from before. The irritated look on his face said it all but the boy spoke anyway, "Take a picture, it will last longer."

Kaen nodded, "You're right. We have a ceremony to get to." He pulled out his scroll and took a picture of the striking skyline of it. The boy seemed to grumpily accept this before Kaen asked, "So, who did you lose a fight to?"

The boy scoffed, "I didn't lose, in case you missed us taking out a Goliath."

Taking a mental note on that name, Kaen responded, "Someone cut you open."

The boy nodded again, "Yeah, I'm pretty dangerous." This set Kaen's jaw as he turned with a look of judgmental fury. "What, you gonna tell me you never cut yourself with that beast back there?"

Kaen asked a question that sounded simple to the ear but was certainly loaded, "How cheap do you think your life is?"

The boy laughed back to him before leveling an equally loaded tone back, "How about you beat me in a brawl before you go acting like you are better than me." The two stared with mutual fury. In one moment they had just pressed each other's hottest nerves.

Kaen growled, "Tomorrow in whatever sparring grounds they have here. You and I, one on one." The boy nodded so Kaen made a point, "Name's Kaen. Figure you should know the man who is going to put you on your ass."

"Wyte, and I would love to see you try." Before they could go even further, the two both felt powerful grips on their ears. Amy looked at him with a dignified fury that took him by surprise and Tanin seemed to be using that drone of hers to grab Wyte with pliers. Both of them were dragged along against their will and judgment towards the academy.

* * *

Zoge sized up the room carefully and quietly as he finally had gained enough strength to stand on his own. He was still sweating profusely, but in a crowded room like this, no one would know. He watched each team being announced, sizing them up as they appeared on the screen. The first seemed rather straight forward. A bunch of humans all kitted out as though they were of local families looking to reclaim the honor of the knights of old by claiming the very title that supplanted them. Their leader looked to be the most confident and possibly charismatic, but almost certainly clueless. The glint in his eye showed this was for family pride. A foolish notion. One Zoge was glad to not have bogging him down.

The next struck him as strange and filled him with an ominous chill. The leader looked ill equipped to even hold a blade. Who wears a hoodie under armor, let alone that little of it? At least it appeared he had a competent team. A boy from Mystral, a girl who held a spark of madness in her eyes, and a rather capable looking warrior maiden. Maybe he was a tactician like himself. Or some form of idiot savant. He would have to keep an eye on him.

The next one caused Zoge's face to twist in even more surprise and concern. This one was headed by A LITERAL CHILD! He knew they were all children but she couldn't have been older than 13. Maybe 15 if he was being generous. She was easily the youngest on her team. Still, as he sized up the rest of the team, one of them struck him like the arctic breeze of his home. He stared at her as coldly as her picture stared at him. When the picture changed he was almost thankful. He wasn't truly listening to the announcement. Just watching. The next team announced was the one they had been facing during their test. Ozpin announced with his usual fervor, "The next team is Team Wisteria. Wyte Wynd, Scarlet Percival, Tanin Mercer, and Robin Azure, lead by Wyte Wynd." As the pictures showed, so too did the anagram, WSTA. Out of curiosity, he looked over at Robin to see how she was taking this and while she did seem huffy, she didn't seem to be hitting Wyte so she was probably okay.

That meant his team was almost certainly next. He watched with detatched interest, almost certain of the outcome."And finally, Team Coal. Kaen Phoenix, Olive Merlinus, Amaranthine Salvia, and Zoge LaBlanc. It will be lead by Kaen Phoenix." Zoge stared in disbelief as the massive letters KOAL formed on the screen. Staring for a minute trying to process this, he realized that for his part, leading a team was probably more important than he wanted to be anyway. That is probably why they passed it to Kaen. Still, he was certain a boy that straightforward would heed his advice, and probably need it as well. Looking to his new team, the rest were just as stunned as him, none moreso than Kaen himself. Zoge approached as if to allay any misgivings.

As he did, Kaen sighed, "I'm sorry guys. I'm gonna go talk to him about this."

As he went to leave, Amaranthine grabbed his sleeve and Olive chastised, "Now now. If it was gonna be any of the four of us, I'm glad it was you." When he looked ready to speak up she smacked him, "Sorry, but I know that look and you were about to tell me why I was wrong. Trick is, I'm not. Not ever." As he stared in restrained contention with her point she elaborated. "Z's a dick, Ams is a lightweight, and I don't like being in charge because then everyone's always looking for you. Face it, you are the only one all of us don't hate."

Amaranthine spoke up with a voice softer than silk, "Sentiment aside, I agree with her. You may not think of yourself as special, but I think that helps. I don't know you yet, but I can see your kindness and passion. I would trust anyone with your nature in this sort of position."

As if asking for backup Zoge couldn't help but express his agreement through his brow before he spoke, "A man like you has no secrets. Anything you lack can be learned. Honesty is not teachable." His tone grew colder as he said, "It can be an occasional fault, but deception can be taught." Returning to his proper tone he stared into the now helpless eyes of Kaen and stated, "As it stands, we will do all we can to carry you. You just have to be willing. This is your chance, hero."

Kaen looked wounded at that final shot from Zoge, and as if it removed his last escape option he growled and looked away, seemingly ready to punch something. "You don't want me calling the shots. I-" He stopped himself as if realizing how full the room was. He grunted in frustration and eventually resigned himself. A darkness Zoge hadn't seen before seemed to fill Kaen's eyes as what little of a brain must have been in there seemed to be working on something. Zoge could tell this conversation wasn't over yet, but it had been delayed. Good. Less of a problem now.

Olive chuckled to herself, "Alright, well, we better go check out our rooms."

Zoge clarified, "Not rooms. Room. Co-ed living space. We are all on the same team after all." He began his trip to the room, but he could feel the sudden flustered concern for the faunas. Apparently, Olive had something to hide. To be fair, he wasn't too keen on it either, but he had braced himself for it before he arrived. What he wasn't expecting was a preening showoff faunas with some of the skills to match, a wilting flower of a swordswoman, and a naive country boy who believed in fairy tales almost as much as he did. He wondered if this had been planned from the start.

* * *

As they got to the room, Olive sized it up and grumbled, "Well, that's great. Not a lot of room to work with. No bookshelves are all chair height. This is lame."

Zoge walked over to the window and opened it, noting, "We have an outcropping of roof. Good escape route if we need it. Could be a bit of a social area as long as we aren't too disruptive." He seemed to be taking further notes as he did so, as if trying to discern the purpose of the room below said roof.

Kaen analyzed the beds and nodded, "Well, I have the materials in my bag to convert these into bunkbeds but I don't know if they would appreciate me damaging school property."

Olive ran up to him, eyes sparkling even past the shades, "Screw that! You are team leader and you need to see to your team! I want bunk beds!" Kaen looked to Zoge who seemed indifferent to the idea. When his warm eyes suddenly fell upon Amy she stared for a moment before nodding. "WOOT! You are the best, Cap!"

He chuckled to himself, something else lingering behind his eyes as he pulled out a strip of metal and seemed to use it as some form of method of measuring by eye. "Well, obviously they couldn't handle me on one of the higher bunks, but I think if Zoge and Olive take the top bunks and Amy trusts my talents, we should be fine." She nodded quietly. "Seems fine then." Lifting one of the beds with his free hand, he reached with the metal strip back into his bag and pulled out a few nails that he deftly moved to his mouth. Then he did the same and retrieved a smithing hammer. Stepping onto the bed and keeping it supported with his back, seemingly in case it began to fall, he held the metal strip to the seam between the leg of the top one and the post of the bottom one and began to hammer the metal around it.

Over the loud sound of his clear and powerful strikes, conversation was impossible. Olive seemed to wince with every strike, but her enthusiasm for the result seemed to temper that. Amy took advantage of this time to unpack her things and put it into what she assumed to be her dresser. She had hoped it would be more private an experience, but with Zoge analyzing the roof, Kaen working intently on a project and Olive watching with sheer joy at the prospect, this was probably her best chance.

Eventually, Kaen finished his work on both beds and Olive bounced around like a giddy little girl upon her top bunk while Zoge laid on his reading a book. Kaen smiled with pride at his work holding up to a stress test as he looked through his bag and lamented, "Gonna have to find a local shop that will let me use their furnace."

Zoge noted, "They may very well have a furnace and anvil here." Kaen seemed excited at the idea before his face became downcast again. "Oh, I see. Is it time to pick up that conversation all but you agreed on?"

Kaen sighed, seemingly upset at how easily Zoge read his intent. He motioned everyone to sit down and everyone did just so, Olive smiling but clearly annoyed. Kaen seemed to understand but pushed ahead. "I was trained for many years by an experienced huntsman and yet my carelessness got that huntsman killed. In fact, people tend to die around me. Dad died when I was seven. My mom spent all her time planning her revenge and died when I was eight getting it. The amount of times I put people in the village in danger just by existing, I can't tell you." Amy began to zone out, holding back tears as she thought about how that must have felt. "You don't want someone like me calling the shots. I'll just get you killed."

Zoge was the first to speak up, "Born under an unlucky star. I understand better than you know." the grey cloak fell to the ground, revealing the sickly form beneath and a left arm bandaged all the way up to the shoulder. The bandages themselves had strange symbols on them. "All cards on the table time, I believe for all of us. Because from here on, we are putting our lives in each other's hands." He spoke with some reluctance, but as though he had been braced for this. "I was abandoned at a library in the mountains of Atlas and raised by the monks there. I couldn't be stopped as far as devouring information. I've probably read every book in the east wing. And with a memory like mine I could recite them all to you. One day, I got bored and curious. I broke into the forbidden wing, the one that every library has whether you know it or not, and read through a book. Seeing a chance to awaken my semblance, I followed the instructions listed there and it seemed to work. My arm began to let off a aura that acted as a powerful poison. A few of the monks died trying to restrain it." His tone dropped into that of a man of mourning, "I must have made a mistake in the process because I can't turn it off. Worse yet, the man who raised me said that it was slowly eating at my body. These bandages suppress my aura on this arm, rendering it almost entirely defenseless, but slowing the effect on my body. Not only am I killing myself, if I don't wear these bandages, I could kill everyone around me." He finished, returning to his more centered and calm tone. "That said, wanting to do good with the time and talents I have left is why I'm here, and I trust you to make the best use of them."

Kaen looked at him with a gentle stare of hesitant understanding. Zoge nodded in return and then said, "Now if Merlinus cares to share why she suddenly dropped quiet..."

Olive scoffed, "Oh boy! One set of bunk beds and a pair of tearjerking stories and you think I'm just gonna crack open the book of my life and spill the beans. Yeah right."

"Then can you at least explain why you dress like Magnum Steele, Miss Merlinus?"

Olive turned over to glare at Zoge removing her shades and giving a sigh, "If we are staying in the same room it was only a matter of time, but you are the second person to see through my little act."

Amy looked up in disbelief which brought Olive a measure of joy, Amy smiled, "I don't mind as much as you think, I just hadn't thought about it. Questions like that can be rather rude." She laughed through her watering eyes, "Frankly, I'm glad I'm not the only girl on the team."

Olive laughed, "I know, right? But yeah, glad it works." She sat on the edge of her bed, her tail smacking her covers as she said, "Used to be a frumpy bookworm back in Mystral. Long hair in a cool braid bulky sweater to hide my lithe and smexy form." She seemed to beam at that comment before suddenly turning into barely contained anger, "I was completely ignored. Best grades in the class, top of every class and the only reason teachers even acknowledged me was because I made them have to. When my idiot brother disappeared in Vale, I asked for a transfer and saw a chance to reinvent myself. Throw everyone off from whatever they thought they could use against me and make everyone have to see how good I am at what I do. Old school White Fang. Show these humans we are their equals through hard work."

Upon mention of the White Fang, Amy let out an audible gasp only to have Zoge set her straight, "The recent attacks are believed to be a rogue faction, and it makes sense given the change to the MO. Olive is right that the true White Fang were founded with the idea of looking after their own discarded by humans and to show every other nation that their nobility and strength. As huntsman, doctors, anything that made themselves useful."

Olive nodded, "My bro is a good example. My parents found him while on a mission. A baby left alive among a caravan of humans ambushed by a flock of Geist, and went through the formal paperwork to adopt him, and brought him back to Menagerie. A few years later, I was born. Imagine that. A human raised among the faunas. Turned out fine, if not a bit of an egomaniac."

Zoge chuckled, "You must be worried because he tried to join the faction here." Olive winced at that statement and glared at this boy who just couldn't leave well enough alone. He chuckled, "If you haven't found him yet then I assure you they haven't killed him. This faction seems to enjoy making a statement. I'm sure you will find him." Olive's ears lowered a little as she nodded sadly. "Alright, that is three of us." Amy felt a chill as she felt the proverbial torch passed to her.

She smiled weakly, "Oh, I'm just the youngest child of my house and came here to learn how to protect my home from the Grimm."

Zoge nodded, as if impressed by her before he stated, "And that is fine. But there is something we need to know." His eyes were like focused lasers, tearing through her, as if her attempts at quietly going unnoticed had thrust her into the spotlight. She tried not to think about it, flashes of it already starting to come to mind. But one name is all it took for her to realize this wasn't going to go away. "Being related to Rosa the Butcher can't be easy."

Olive and Kaen both drew a blank, not sure who he meant. But Amy knew and worried what sort of research this boy had done. She spat, "It wasn't like that!" Her hands were shaking like mad, her skin pale as she collected herself. She closed her eyes, hoping to block out the image before she felt a warm arm wrap around her reassuringly. If he knew, she needed them to know the truth of what actually happened. The woman who had effected her so much. "Some of the minor nobles of our lands began to express discontent with my father's provisions for their lands. They felt as though he was not showing them proper deference as their guardian and provider, and so they hired bandits to kidnap me. They hoped that when he came for negotiations the men they had planted as hostages could join in and they could slay him and supplant our family. My father saw through their demands and refused, instead he tried to send messengers. When the first one was killed and thrown out of the village, my grandmother demanded my father send his men in to save me. He worried about the safety of me and the men he would send. When the second messenger was slain, my grandmother left without telling anyone to solve the problem herself." Amy's voice began to waver, "When she came, she sprung their trap. The sad part was, it didn't change the results." She began to shudder in the grip of the person reassuring her which just caused another arm to hold her. "I heard her long before I saw her. She was laughing. A laughter that seemed to fill them all with terror. I had closed my eyes, afraid that they were going to stab me. I let out a scream, and then..." She nearly threw up, but swallowed it out of reflex, "I felt something warm and the arms holding me seemed to just disappear. I opened my eyes and they were in pieces scattered across the town. There was blood everywhere. I didn't know what happened until eventually she walked up to me. She was dripping with blood but her eyes were so kind. She scooped me up and took me home."

Amy's voice gained strength back as she spoke with conviction, "She saved my life. And I..." She opened her eyes seeing Olive holding an empty garbage can and Kaen hugging her. She sighed as she tried to steady herself, "When I discovered my semblance while helping my brothers practice their swordsmanship, I saw a chance to save people, like her. To be a hero, even if no one thanks you for it."

Zoge nodded, "And you decided to become a huntress so you could face Grimm without having to worry about your fear of blood." Amy nodded sadly at him nailing exactly what her weakness was from that story. He continued, "Well, I'm sorry you had to see her work up close and I'm sorry she was banished from your lands for saving you."

Kaen grumbled, "You shouldn't banish someone for saving the only real hostage."

Amy explained, "They only had my word and hers. Everyone else was dead. My father believed us, but knew that something had to be done or those nobles could use this incident as proof of him being a tyrant. They could gain more support. So he sent her away."

Zoge stated as if to change the subject entirely, "What a set we are. Guess that means we should share semblances beyond just mine." The rest nodded and spent the night sharing notes on semblances and favorite personal battle techniques. It was better than dwelling on their unpleasant histories.

* * *

She kicked the door open, her preferred method of access as she walked up to his desk and put her snowboots up on it, small bits of wet snow falling free as she did. She looked with a confident smirk at the not as enthused Ironwood. She teased, "Howdy, Jimmy. How is Winny?" his lack of response told her a lot, "Wow, calling me in with that expression tells me you have gotten yourself into some shit!" He narrowed his eyes at her and she let out a sigh, "If anyone but you called me at 3am and gave me that look I would kick their teeth in. You are lucky I like you, sir."

He smiled a little, "It is good to see you, Connie. Winter is off on assignment, but I will tell her you asked." He tossed a folder across the desk to her, "I need you to look into something for me. A personal favor. I need this off of Atlas military record and I need someone I can trust."

Contrassa Greenwich picked up the folder and flipped through it before nodding, "Makes sense given that you are sending me to Vale. Need a huntress and not a soldier." She smirked, "I told you there were things you just can't get out of the military."

He laughed a little, "I always appreciate your discretion, Connie. But I'll state again-"

She cut him off, "Always room for one of yours in the Atlas Military. I get it."

"Well, door is always open if you change your mind. Especially for those who care about people as much as you."

She scoffed, "One person who cares won't matter if your army is a bunch of toys. Besides, we finally have peace. Why would we need an army?" Ironwood dropped quiet as she left his office.


End file.
